Combined key-connecting and ribbon-shifting mechanism for combined type-writers and adders.



COMBINED KEY CONNECTING AND RIBBON SHlFTING MECHANISM FOR COMBlNED TYPE WRITERS AND ADDERS.

lV/TNESSES APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1m N OR,

Patefited June 5, 192' J. A. SMITH. COMBINED KEY CO NNECT ING AND RIBBON SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR COMBENED TYPE WRITERS AND ADDERS.

. APPLICATION FILED IUNEZB. 1909. 1,228,492, Patented June 5,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- TOTAL J. A. SMITH. COMBINED KEY CONNECTING AND RIBBON SHIFI'ING MECHANISM FOR COMBINED I TYPE WRITERS AND ADDERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1909. I j v Patented June 5,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' WITNESSES, INVENTOR,

WM Wm)? y d'tlliill SIx ZETH, 9F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANEA, ASSIGNOB "E0 ELLIOTT-FISHER GOEEPANY, @F HAEFELISBUIR J.

CUhIBL'IilED SEEK-COFJTNEG'EING AND RIBBON-5"EETING MECHANISM ENNSYLVANIA, A COEPOBATICN 0F DELAVJ'ARE.

FOR COMBINED TYPE-VI AND ADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent Juno l ll Application filed June 26, 1909. Serial No. 504,591.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Harrisburg, in the county 01 Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain' new, and useful Improvements in Combined liey-Connecting and Ribbon-Shifting Mechanism for Combined Type-Writers and Adders, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to combined key connecting and ribbon shifting mechanism for combined typewriting and adding machines.

The object of the invention is to establish an interdependent relation between the mechanism which controls the operation of the adder and the mechanism which controls or determines the color in. which the matter printed or recorded shall be displayed, to, the end that diiierent colors may be appropriated to different classes or" work, as for instance onecolor for numbers recorded and added and a contrasting color for numbers recorded but not added, as for instance the total of a column, with positive assurance that the matter recorded will appear in the proper color.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an Elliott-Fisher "Writing-adding machine equipped in accordance with my invention, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy when the machine is setfor both printing and adding.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with certain of the parts occupying difi'erent positions to permit the use of a difierent stripe or track of the ribbon while printing and adding.

Fig. 3 is still another view of this charac- .ter with the parts in the positions they occupy for recording in a'distinctive color without adding, and

Fi l is a vertical sectional view the machine.

Each part is indicated by its appropriate reference character throughout the "views.

th r o u gh 1 he Elliott-Fisher billing-milling machine.

The Elliott-Fisher billing-adding ie-- chine to which my invention 1S shown plied is what is known a flat platen o1- downwardly printing typewriter equipped with adding mechanism. [he typewriting machine includes a iiat platen 1 over which a machine frame 2 travels longitudinally for line spacing. ll'lounted to travel transversely of the platen on the frame 2 for letter spacing is a carriage 3 which supports downwardly acting numeral printing mechanism a operated from keys 5. The carriage 3 is propelled in the direction of letter spacing by propelling mechanism not shown and is controlled by an escapement 6 operated from the keys 5 to permit a step-by-step advance of the carriage. For a more complete disclosure of the machine than is considered necessary at this time, reference is made to Patent No. 573,868 to R. J. Fisher.

The adding mechanism.

The adding mechanism is an ordinary adjunct ot the Elliott-Fisher machine of commerce and is fully disclosed in Patents No. 825,49l to John .55... Smith, No. 829,971 to Laganke and Smith, application of Laganke and Smith No. 308,279. It willsutlice, therefore, for pres ent purposes to mention that the register or adding mechanism proper 7 is adjustably vmounted on a horizontal register supporting bar 8 carried by suitable brackets extending in rear of and supported by the main frame, 2 ot the machine. The register 7, which is thus adapted to be'positioned for the addition of numbers printed in a column at any point on the work sheet, includes a series of denominational members or number wheels 9; indicated in dotted lines in Fig. eland corresponding to the denominational orders of the column. With these number wheels is associated carrying mechanism, not shown, but well understood in the art. lhe nun1- ber wheels 9 are designed to be operated. by a master wheel or actuator 10 mounted on the carriage and presented, by the movement thereof, into cooperative relation with successive number wheels "from higher to lower order as the printing point of the typewriter moves from higher to lower order across the columnpn'the w,ork.sheet.

The master wheel 10 is-operated from. the

and in the copending operating connections each of which imparts to the master wheel a rotary movement corresponding in degree to the value of the particular key operated. One of these operating connections is shown generally in Fig. and will be seen to include a lever 11 geared to the master wheel shaft 12 and operated by a lever 13 fulcrumed at its rear end, as shown at 14, and provided at its front end with a depending link 15 adapted to swing back and forth. This movement of the link 15 causes a lug 16 thereon to engageor disengage a notched pin 17 project ing from the stem 18 of the adjacent key 5. For the purpose of swinging all of the links 15 forward to engage the same with the keys 5, an oscillatory key-connecting-yoke 19 is mounted in the carriage casing, the front bar 20 of said yoke being received within longitudinal slots 21 in the links 15.

The key connecting mechanism.

In the ElliottFislier machine of cominerce provision is made for automatically swinging the links 15 into engagement with the numeral keys whenever, in the travel of the carriage, the printing point of the machine moves into the column or adding field and the master actuator moves opposite the register, the numeral keys being unburdened at other times or in other positions of the carriage to facilitate the print-v ing of digits outside of the adding field. The automatic key connecting mechanism here shown is generally identical with that found in the specified ma chineand disclosed in Patent No. 863,232 to John AkSmitli.

lVithin the casing 3 is mounted a yokeoperating lever 22 having its front end in engagement with the bar of the key connecting yoke 19. At the rear end of the lever 22 is mounted an abutment roller 23 shiftable into and out of coactive relation with the front end of a secondary lever 2i,

the rear extremity of which extends through the, rear wall of the casing and is cotipen atively related to what is known as the key connecting arm having a cam which, upon the forward movement of the carriage, rides under a ledge or plate 26eXtended from the lower front corner of the register 7. Then the arm 25 is depressed by the register plate 26 the lever 24 is swung and by engagementwith the abutment roller 23 swings'thekey connecting lever 22 which in turnswings the yoke 19 to shift all of the links15 into engagement with the adjacent key stems, thus effecting automatically' an operative connection between the normally disconnected keys and the adding mechanism, which connection is likewise automatically broken when the arm 25 passes from under the ledge 26 at the same time the master wheel is passing out of the regto as the total key, 27, exposed above the carriage 3 at the left hand end thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, for instance, and connected as by a lever 28 with an abutment plate 29 sliiftable on the lever 22 and carrying the roller 23.

In the forward position of the key 27, shown in Fig. 1, the roller 23 is positioned above the rear end of the lever 24, as shown in Fig. 4. This is what is known as the add position of the total key because in this position the automatic key-connecting mechanism is set for operation so that when the master wheel moves opposite the register, the keys will be connected to permit the operation of the adder. \Vhen the key 27 is moved back to the position shown in Fig. 3 for instance, the lever 28 will be swung to shift the roller 23 forwardbeyond the end of the lever 24. This is what is generally known as the total position of the parts because the operative connection between the levers 22 and 24. is now broken and as a consequence the keys will not be connected with the adding mechanism when the printing point moves into the column and the total will therefore be printed atthe foot of the column without operating the register The ribbon mechanism.

The ribbon mechanism of the Elliott- Fisher machine is disclosed in Patents No. 723,884 to Laganke and Smith and No] 723,936 to John A. Smith. For the pur poses of the present disclosure it is suflicient to say that this ribbon mechanism includes twospool shafts 30 located at the sides of the carriage and carrying ribbon spools 31 shiftable longitudinally of the shafts 30 and connected by a ribbon The shafts 3O iiisni, not shown, to wise from one spool i'iage advances.

are rotated by;mecha-v feed the ribbon 33 endto the other as the carguiding fra'me The ribbon ordinarily utilized and that shown. in the I drawing has longitudinal stripes of contrasting colors as for instance a narrow red stripe 34km: the rear edge of masses the ribbon and a very much wider black stripe 35. The ribbon spools, together with the ribbon and the connecting frame 82, are

shifted rearwardly to expose the writing by means of a ribbon shifting key 36 formed at one end of'a ribbon shifting lever 3? suitably mounted on the carriage and connected to the frame 32, see Fig. 1. As the ribbon is of sufficient width to present a number of printing tracks four of which are black and one red, a stop plate 38 is mounted on the carriage casing and is adjustable to arrest the ribbon shifting lever 37 at any one of several points corresponding to the tracks of the ribbon.

An indicator 39 is associated with the plate 38 to aid "in the adjustment thereof and to indicate the particular track of the ribbon which will be presented at the printing point upon the return of the lever 37 after the key :86 has been pressed down to shift the ribbon away from the line of writing. The stopplate 38 is provided with a key or finger piece &0 by whichit may be manipulated, but it may be remarked in passing that while the plate 88 constitutes a stop limiting the return of the ribbon when the latter has been shifted back from the line of writing, it also constitutes a ribbon shifting member, since it will be obvious that the operator, by pushing the key 40 forward from the posit-ion shown in either Fi 2 or Fi 8 will not onl ad'ust o a v the plate 38, but will cause the latter to swing the lever 37 and thus shift the ribbon to present at the printing point that particular printing track which is indicated by the position of the plate. The lever 3'7 is. held against the stop 38 by a ribbon retracting spring ll which yieldingly retains the ribbon in the position determined by the stop 38.

It has been statedthat one object of my present invention is toinsure the printing of certain classes of matter in appropriate colors. For instance it is customary to print in black'all numbers which are recorded in the column or adding field and also added in the register and to print in red, or other contrasting color, the total or other matter printed in the column, but not added. Heretofore it has been possible to print in either color numbers which are both printed and added or which are printed only. This is objectionable because it has made it impossible todetermine from the record itself whether o nnt thc printed numbers have been iHCll IClGd in the computation and because of the possibility of printing the total in the same color as the numbers in the column in case the operator failed to shift the ribbon to present the red or contrasting color stripe to the printing point. These objections are overcome and the object of the invention attained by effecting a connection between the total key 27 of the key connecting mechanism and the stop 38 of the ribbon shifting mechanism, the connection being such that whenever the stop plate 38 is moved to proper position to allow the red stripe of the ribbon to be presented at the printing point the total key will necessarily be shifted to its unset or total position, whereas when the stop plate 38 of the ribbon mechanism is shifted away from the red position the total key will be likewise shifted to its set position.

To efiect the desired connection I fulcrum upon the left hand end of the carriage casing at 42, see Fig; l, a. total key shifting lever 43 having its upper end disposed at an angle and bifurcated, as shown at M, to on the key 27. The opposite or lower end of the lever 43 is connected by a link 4-5 to a. bell crank lever 46 the opposite arm of which is bifurcated, as indicated at 4:7, to engage a pin -18 which may be integral with the plate 38, but is shown carried by the rear end of an arm 4-9 secured to said plate. This character of connection between the plate 38 and the lever 46 enables the plate to have inc'iependent movement between certain limits in order that it may be shifted to position any one of the several prlntmg tracks of the black stripe of the ribbon opposite the Operation.

In order that the operation of the mechanism may be better understood attention is directed first to Fig. 1. In this figure the key 27 is shown at add in which position the roller 23 will be located above the lever 2%, as shown in Fig. l, which is its set position. lVhen the key 27 is in this position the keys 5 will be operatively connected with the adding mechanism 7 whenever the printing point of the typewriter moves into the column. It will also be noted that the key 40 and plate 38 are in their extreme forward positions in Fig. 1 and that the extremeforward printing track of the ribbon is opposite the printing point. If new, the key 40 of the stop plate 38 is shifted back to any one of the three positions immediately in rear thereof, see for instance Fig. 2, the ribbon will be allowed to move forward to present any one of the remaining tracks of the black stripeof the ribbon opposite the printing point. If, however,

the key 40 is thrown number has not been included in the compuated to swing the lever 43 and the key 27 rearwardly to the total position in which the roller 23 will be withdrawn from over the end of the lever' 24 so that when theprinting point of the typewriter moves into the adding field with the red track of the ribbon opposite the printing point, the keyconnecting mechanism will not operate to connect the keys with the adder. Consequently, if a number appears in red inthe adding field, it will be evident that such tation effected by the adding mechanism. As soon, however, as the key 40 is moved away from the red position the setting key 27 of the key connecting mechanism will be moved to add or set position, so that it a number printed in the column appears in black it will be equally evident that such number has been included in the computation effected by the adding mechanism.

In conclusion, attention is directed to the:

fact that the key connecting mechanism which enters into the combination embraced by my invention is operated automatically by the movement of the typewriter carriage and that it is set for automatic action and unset for non-action by the act of manipulating the ribbon mechanism to select or determine the color in which the record shall appear, the key 40 constituting a ribbon shifting member which is movable to determine or select the color of the record and also to determine whether the keys shall be connected to or disconnected from the adding mechanism when the'printing point of the typewriter is opposite the adding field.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the construction and operation of the mechanism comprehended in my invention will be clearly understood, but I wish to expressly reserve the right to effect such variatlons of the illustrated structure as ma come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. The combination with recording mechanism and keys, of adding mechanism, automatically operated key connecting mechanism, operative to connect the adding mechanism and keys, and including setting means, multicolor inking means movable to determine the color of the record, andmeans adjustable with the setting means to determine the'position of the inking means.

2. The combination with recording-mechanism and keys, of adding mechanism, automatically operated key connecting mechan sm, intermediate of the adding mechanism and keys, and including setting means, multlcolor inkin means movable to determine the color 0 the record, and astop ad- ]ustable with the setting means and coacting with the inking meansadding mechanism and including se 3 3. The combination with recording mechanism and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism including setting means, operative to control the subsequent operation of the key connecting mechanism 7 to connect the adding mechanism and keys, a laterally shiftable multicolor ribbon for the recording mechanism, and means adjust able with the setting means to determine the position of the ribbon.

4. The combination with recording mechanism and keys, of addin mechanism, key connecting mechanism, a apted to connect the keys and adding mechanism, and including settin means, a laterally shiftable mul ticolor rib on for the recording mechanism, anda stop cooperatively related to the setting means and disposed to limit the morement of the ribbon in one direction.

5. The combination with recording mechanism and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism, arranged to connect the keys and adding mechanism, and including setting means, which may be set prior to the connection of the kevs and adding mechanism, a laterally shiftable n'mlticolor ribbon for the recording mechanism, a. mem ber movable to shift the ribbon laterally, and an operative connection between said mom-- ber and the setting means.

6. The combination with a travelin carriage, recording mechanism, and k. of adding mechanism, key con cting mechanism operated by the movement of the carriage to cause the connection of the keys and adding mechanism and including set ting means movable to determine whether or not the movement of the carriage shall cllect such connection of the keys, and multicolor inking means cooperatively related to the 1:11; setting means of the key connecting mechanism.

..7. The combination with a traveling carriage,,recording mechanism, and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mecha nism operated by the movement of the cai"- riage to cause the connection of the keys and adding mechanism and including setting means movable to determine whether or not the movement of the carriage shall 11 effect such connection of the keys, multicolor inking means, color selecting mechanism. and a connection between the color selecting mechanism and the setting means.

8. The combination with a traveling (:11- riage, recording mechanism, and key. 113 adding mechanism, key connecting n... rn nism operated by the movement of the riage to cause the connection of the key means movable to determine whether the movement of the carriage f such connection of the keys, a late able multicolor ribbon, and me termining the position of the. 1

.bon,

last named means being cooperativel related to the setting means or" the key connecting mechanism. I

9. The combination With a traveling carriage, recording mechanism, and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism operated by the movement of the carriage to cause the connection of the keys and adding mechanism and including setting means movable to determine Whether or not the movement of the carriage shall effect such connection of the keys, a laterally shiftable multicolor ribbon, and a key operative to shift the ribbon and controlling the setting means of the key connecting mechanism.

10. The combination With a traveling carriage, recording mechanism, and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism operated by the movement of the carriage to cause the connection of the keys and adding mechanism and including setting means movable to determine Whether or not the movement of the carriage shall effect such connection of the keys, multicolor inking means, and a single key controlling the setting means and movable to determine the color of the record.

11. The combination with a traveling carriage, recording mechanism, and'keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mecha ,nism operated by the movement of the carriage to cause the connection oit' the keys and adding mechanism and including setting means movable to determine Whether or not the movement of the carriage shall effect such connection of the keys, a multicolor ribcolor selecting means adjustable to determine the position of the ribbon, and an operating key common to both the colorselecting means and the setting r eans.

12. In a combined typewritin and adding machine, the combination with a typewriter including a carriage, keys printing mechanism, of a register, opei tting connections therefor, key connecting mechanism operated by the movement the car riage to connect the keys and said operating connections of the register, said key connecting mechanism including setting means mov able to render the key connecting mechanism operative or inoperative, a multicolor ribbon for the printing mechanism, and mechanism for insuring a given position of the setting mechanism When the ribbon is in a given position.

13. In a Writing adding machine, a carriage, keys, printing mechanism and an adding mechanism or register, of key connecting mechanism serving in a given position to operativelyveonnect the keys and adding mechanism and including a total key, a ribbon mechanism including means for shifting the ribbon to present different stripes or tracks thereof to the printing point of the machine and a movable stop cobperating with said shifting means to determine the Writing position of the ribbon, and a connection between the total key and ribbon stop.

14. The combination with recording meclr anism and keys, of adding mechanism, key, connecting mechanism operative to establish a cooperative relation between the keys'and the adding mechanism and including setting means, multicolor printing mechanism, a key movable to select or determine the color of the record, and a connection between said key and the setting mechanism, said con nection including a bell crank lever, meansconnecting said lever with the setting mech-- anism, and a device movable with the keyand arranged to engage and operate the bell crank lever during a portion only of "the movement oi said key.

15. The combination with recording mechanism and keys, of adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism, automatically movable into position to connect the keys adding mechanism, and including setting means movable to set and unset position to control the subsequent movement of the key connecting mechanism, multicolor inking means for the printing mechanism, and means for securing an interdependent relation between the setting means of the key connecting mechanism and the multicolcr inking means whereby contrasting colors will be printed when the setting means is in dilierent positions.

l6. lna computing typewriter, the combination with a carriage, keys and printing mechanism, of a computing device, actuating means whereby the computing device may be placed under the control of the keys,

variable key connecting mechanism adapted to be automatically operated When the carriage moves into the adding field to place the computing device under the control of the keys, setting means operative to vary the key connecting mechanism determine Whether the computing device shall be placed under the control of the keys when the adding field is reached, a multicolor ribbon and means controlling the setting means and operative to shift the ribbon.

17. In a combined typevvriting and add ing machine, the combination with a-type- Writer including a carriage, keys and printing mechanism, of a register, operating connections therefor, key connecting mecha nism operated to connect the keys and said operating connections, ribbon mechanism eluding means for shifting the ribbon 1&ti'" v erally, an adjustable stopdevice the ribbon shitting means and operati" con nection between said stop device" and the key connectingmechanism.

18. in a combined typewriting and ad machine, the combination with t;

writer including a carriage,keys and printing mechanism, of a register, operating connections therefor, key connecting mechanism operative to connect the keys and said operating connections, ribbon mechanism in eluding a device for shifting the ribbon and an adjustable stop for said shifting device, the shifting device being movable independently of the stop to displace the ribbon from the printing" point, and a connection be. tween the stop device and the key connecting mechanism. 19. In. a combined typewriting and adding machine, the combination with a typewriter including a carriage, keys and printing mechanism, of a register, operating conneetions therefor, key connecting mechanism operative to connect the keys and the operating connections, ribbon mechanism including a ribbon shifting device, an adjustable stop member coacting' therewith, and connections between said adjustable stop member and the key Connecting mechanism, said connections permitting independ ent movement of the stop device to certain positions but effecting an. operative relation between said step device and the-key connecting mechanism during the movement of the stop device to certain other positions.

20. In a combined typewriting and adding machine, the combination with a typewriter including a carriage, keys and printing mechanism, of a register, operating connections therefor, key connecting mecha nism operated by the movement of the carriage toconnect the keys and said operating connections, said key connecting mechanism including setting means movable to render-the key connecting mechanism op erative or inoperative, ribbon mechanism including a shifting device for the ribbon to connect the keys and said operating, connections, said key connecting mechanism including setting means movable to render the key connecting mechanism operative or inoperative, ribbon mechanism including a shifting device for the ribbon and an adjustable stop member for-the shifting-device, and a connection between said stop member and the setting means of the,key connecting mechanisn'i, said;connection including means whereby said stop member may be moved to certain positions inde-,

pendently of the setting means.

22. In a writing-adding machine, a ear riage, keys, printing mechanism, adding mechanism, key connecting mechanism operated by the movement of the carriage to place the adding mechanism under the'control of the keys and including a total key movable to determine whether the key con neeting mechanism shall beloperated as stated, a. ribbon mechanism including ribbon shifting'mcans and a movable stop eoacting with the shifting means, and a. connection between the total key and said stop. In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. SMITH. IVitnesses HARRY IV. CnOUsn, M. L. BOWMAN.

Gopieavof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, IJ. C. 

